Ball-caster.



N0. 635,680. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

J. GUINAN.

BALL CASTER.

(Application filed Feb. 7, 1899.) (N0.Model.) 2 Sheets$heet I.

John Guiizalz/ v Patented 0ct.'24, I899. J. GUINAN.

BALL EASTER.

(Applicatipn filed Feb. 7, 1899.)

aim

(No Model.)

m W W m w a 2 0 x m /V\ w 0 1/ 1/ 7 7 7 f 7 UNrrEn STATES JOHN GUINAN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

BALL-T-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,680, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed February '7, 1899. Serial No, 704,864. LNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN GUINAN, a citizen of the Uni-ted States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing Casters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to casters of the type comprising a ball held in a socket or cup and seated against balls which reduce the friction and resistance to a minimum amount.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the assembling of the parts, to reduce the cost of manufacture, to hold the balls in proper relation, and to devise a caster which will roll easily over a carpeted floor and obtain a firm bearing against the end of the furniture leg or article to which the caster may be applied.

Various other advantages are contemplated and will suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is unfolded in the following description.

The improvement consists of the novel features, details of construction, and combinations of the parts, as more particularly claimed, described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a caster constructed in accordance with this invention, showing it applied to a furniture-leg. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the cup or socket having a stem. Fig.3is an end view of the cup or socket, the caster-ball being removed. Fig. 4 is a detail View of some of the many forms of plates for confining the balls or antifriction devices. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a caster having a plurality of arms, the alternate arms having their outer ends bent to embrace the sides of the furniture-leg. Fig. 6 is an end view of the cup or socket having arms adjustably connected therewith. Fig. 7 is a detailsection on the line X X of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail side view showing the bracket-lug in end elevation. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the stem, showing more clearly the spring applied thereto.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in-all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The ball cup or socket 1 may be of any size or shape and secured to the furniture-leg 2 or other article in any of the usual ways, either by being let into an opening in said leg, as shown in Fig. 1, or provided with a stem 3 to enter a bore, as shown in Fig. 2. The casterball 4 is retained in the cup or socket by contracting an end portion of said socket in the usual manner. Balls or antifriction devices 5 are interposed between the inner or closed end of the cup or socket and the caster-ball 4 and reduce the friction to the smallest amountpossible. Any desired number of balls 5'may be employed, and they may be placed in the cup or socket so as to play freely therein or they may be confined by plates 6, which latter are loosely fitted into the cup or socket and have central openings 7 to receive the balls 5. The

openings '7 have notches 8 extending therefrom, said notches being of wedge form, with their smaller ends communicating with the central opening, thereby retaining the balls 5 in the notches. There may be any desired number of notches 8, according to the size of the caster, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The inner or smallerends of the notches are of less extent than thediameters of the balls 5, thereby preventing said balls from moving toward the center and becoming displaced after being properly positioned. The wedge-shaped notches 8 radiate and their walls touch the antifriction-balls at three points, thereby fixing their position and reducing the frictional contacting points or surfaces to a minimum amount.

When the ball cup or socket is constructed to be let into the ends of the leg or article 2, it is formed with an offstanding support, which may be a flange 9 or arms, the latter being of determinate length or adjustable. A rim 10 projects beyond the plane of the offstanding flange orarms and is beveled to approximately a chisel edge and is adapted to be contracted or inturned, so as to embrace the caster-ball and retain it in position when placed within the cup. The pendent rim 10, offstanding flange or support, and socket are integral, thereby obviating the expense in material and labor and the other objectionable features resulting from having any of these parts separately formed and applied. This integral formation of the parts avoids joints and insures a light, rigid, and durable structure. In Fig. 5 the arms are divided into two series, as shown at 11 and 12, the arms 11 being shorter than the arms 12 and the latter having their outer ends upturned, as shown at 13, to embrace the sides of the furniture-leg. The arms are alternately disposedthat is, the short arms 11 are placed intermediate of the spaces formed between the long arms 12.

In Fig. 6 and the corresponding detail views thereof the arms are extensible and consist of bracket-lugs 14, formed with the ball cup or socket 1, and slotted plates 15, the latter being adjustable in and out with reference to the bracket-lugs 14. There may be any desired number of bracket-lugs, three being shown, and they are formed with recesses 16 in their outer ends to receive the plates 15. The side walls of the recesses 16 are undercut, so as to overlap the beveled edges of the plates 15 and retain the latter in position against outward displacement. The recesses 16 are of a depth corresponding to the thickness of the plates 15, whereby the latter come flush with the ends of the bracket-lugs, thereby preventing projecting corners. The plates 15 are provided with openings 17 to receive screws or like fastenings for positive attachment of the caster with the furniture-leg and are held in an adjusted position by clampscrews 18, passing through the slots 19 and entering threaded openings of the bracketlugs. Upon loosening the clamp-screws 18 the plates 15 may be moved in or out, as re quired, and when adjusted the clamp-screws are retightened and secure the plates in their adjusted position.

In the form of caster having the stem 3 the latter is grooved longitudinally, forming a seat to receive aspring 20. This spring has its end portions bowed and is secured at a medial point of the stem by having portions of the latter displaced by a suitable tool and overlapping the spring, as shown at 21. The spring bears against the wall of the bore formed in the leg or article of furniture and 1. In a caster, a ball cup or socket having a plate at its inner end formed with a plurality of recesses radiating from and grouped about a central point, the side walls of said recesses being straight and outwardly divergent, antifriction-balls placed in said recesses and touching the walls thereof at three points only, said balls being of greater diametrical extent than the distance between the inner converging ends of the said side walls, and a caster-ball seated against the antifrictionballs and held Within the ball-cup, substantially as described.

2. In a caster, a ball cup or socket to be let into an opening formed in the part to which the device is to be applied, extensible arms branching from the ball-cup at different points in its circumferential length and adapted to overlap the walls of the said opening and bear against the lower end of the part having the opening formed therein, and means for securing the arms to the part in an adjustable position.

3. In a caster, a ball cup or socket having bracketlugs, in combination with plates adustably connected to said bracket-lugs, and means for securing the plates to the bracketlugs in an adjusted position, substantially as described.

4. In a caster, the combination with the ball cup or socket having bracket-lugs formed in their outer ends with recesses having their longitudinal walls undercut, of slotted plates slidably fitted in the recesses of the bracketlugs, and means for securing the plates in an adjusted position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN GUINAN. [L. s]

\Nitnesses:

O. O. I-In'vns, LEONA A. FEATHERS. 

